About this project

Artistic rendering designed by Solo Goodspeed

Wouldn't it be great if Granada Hills had a town square? A place to sit down and eat on food truck nights? A place for public music performances? Free dance classes? Or a place for people to just come together and enjoy?

We want to create one.

We love the lively street life that the food trucks have brought to the sidewalks of Chatsworth Street. But food trucks come and go. To maintain that lively atmosphere, we need to create something that is OURS.

In cooperation with the City of Los Angeles' People St. program, we want to expand Veteran's Triangle Park, at the corner of Chatsworth and Zelzah Streets, all the way to Menchie's for a temporary, 12-month pilot program. But doing that requires community support. And that's where you come in.

Any inviting gathering space needs tables and chairs. It needs umbrellas for shade. It needs trash pickup. And most importantly, it requires an enthusiastic base of supporters. Donating to this project shows that you think it should happen!

Right now, this project is just in the idea stages. We have to complete an application to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation by October 1. If LADOT approves the application, work will begin to temporarily block the turn lane to vehicles for one year.

Risks and challenges

If we don't get broad-based support from the community, this project won't happen. Period.

That's why we're doing this Kickstarter -- to show everyone in Granada Hills that this project has a wide base of support among community members. We need the support of business owners, commercial property owners, local city representatives, but mostly, this Kickstarter is about engaging the support of ordinary everyday people who live here.

We see this as a business-friendly project, and many local business owners agree. By making the area more of a destination, we'll draw people from all over, which benefits all of our local businesses.

However, not everybody believes that. In fact, some are convinced that making the intersection work like a normal, standard "+" -shaped intersection, where cars turn right at a traffic light, will destroy business. These parties will likely lobby local representatives to have the project brought to a halt.

At this point, there are concerns about the four parking spaces in front of Menchie's that this project will eliminate. We have a plan to offset the lost spaces with additional parallel parking on Zelzah St., and it's our hope that the shift in parking will be more than offset by an increase in foot traffic, or that people will be willing to walk an extra 50 feet to enjoy the plaza.

We also haven't yet named a "community partner" for the project, and that is essential for its approval. Without a community partner who is willing to take on sponsorship and maintenance for the first 12 months (and potentially beyond), LADOT will not approve this application. We're still looking.